Delta interview: DMC World DJ Championships Feature

While music forums of any genre seem to follow the same cycles with monotonous predictability, occasionally the patient lurker is rewarded with a rare surprise. For example, earlier this year a member of OzHipHop.com, Australia's biggest hip hop forum, began a thread on who was considered Australia's leading Hip Hop act from a global perspective. Predictably, the thread got sidetracked and (predictably) it turned into a long-running, and equally long-winded, directionless argument. Yet when the thread had run its course and the dust settled a few hundred posts later, some observations could be made. Predictably (and accurately) the Hilltop Hoods were broadly considered to currently hold the most appeal to the Australian Hip Hop community, as well as having the most potential to become Australia's biggest Hip Hop export. Few too, argued against the widely held view that the Def Wish Cast have been the most influential of Australia's acts internationally. Yet the amount of people who supported the view that South Australia's Delta is currently our most recognised artist by the international Hip Hop community would have come as a surprise to a great deal of the forum members.

Unique is a word you'll hear often in reference to Delta. It is due largely, but not solely, to his unrivalled reputation as both one of Australia's premier freestylers and, more recently, best Hip Hop artists. While he has a history of excellence dating back well over a decade, it was the release of his debut LP, 'The Lostralian' on Nuffsaid Records in February 2006 that confirmed his multi-talented status. Produced with UK veteran Mark B, best know as the man behind British super-group Mark B & Blade (their 'Unknown' LP sold over 45,000 copies in the UK alone) 'The Lostralian' features some of the world's leading Hip Hop artists. Collaborators include Skinnyman (UK) Murs, a member of L.A's Living Legends crew, Australian's Trem (Lyrical Commission) and Prowla and Mojo aka The Cinematic aka Satchel Paige, a member of New York Hip Hop outfit Dujeous.

Delta describes his sound as "hip hop with a liberal dose of intelligence" and at 28 he already has ten years of industry experience under his belt. Yet his interest goes all the way back to 1987 when an 11 year old Delta first hear Eric B & Rakim's 'Paid in Full' LP. A previous winner of both Revolver's annual MC Comp and the Out 4 Fame Battle for Supremacy in 2001 and 2003 respectively, Delta knows only too well what the DMC finalists would be feeling at the moment. TranZFusion's Phil Watkins caught up with Delta while he was chilling in Melbourne for a few days before the Victorian and national DMC Championship finals. While not competing, Delta will be joining Jase, J-Red and some of Aussie Hip Hop's other leading figures who will be making guest appearances to add the punctuation marks to what is already Australian Hip Hop's night of nights.

To say you've had a big year so far is an understatement, especially the launch of your debut LP and the national tour that accompanied it. How would you describe the experience-
Good. It's definitely a unique way of life; travelling around and doing the Hip Hop thing. I had my mate Mojo over from New York. We were promoting the track we did called The Greater Good. We've been friends for such a long time having met through mutual friends while I was living in New York a few years ago. We hit it off and he was a crucial element to the album because he's such a talented rapper. Staen One and I have a good chemistry on stage as well. I don't usually mess with a hypeman on stage, but he's amazing. He works hard all the time. I reckon he knows my lyrics better than I do!'

Originally I knew of you from your freestyling days where you've won heaps of MC battles including the inaugural Revolver c

Tags

• Delta
• DMC
• Mark B